maven&meddler

He was legend around the old Western Airlines ‘Wallybirds’ gang. For years, I’d wait until I was sure he was within earshot, and find a way to work in “my, my … it’s Brad Slaven, boy actor and pilot!” Being the decent guy, and gentleman that he always was, he’d grin and bear it … although we all knew he’d heard it at least a million times before.

It’s interesting though, that you never quite know everything about people until they pass and you read the obituary. I didn’t know that he’d been a prisoner of war, for example.

We should all have such full, rewarding lives.

Here it is, read it for yourself:

Brad’s parents, Michael and Alice (Bradley) Slaven, emigrated from Scotland
to Canada in 1922, and from there to Seattle. Mathhew Bradley Slaven was
born there, and the family moved on to Los Angeles, specifically Hollywood
and Culver City. Michael worked in the masonry and fancy concrete trade in
which he’d been engaged in Scotland.

Brad or “Buster” started his acting career in the “Our Gang” comedies and
had many onscreen appearances as a child and youth. His appearances were
often fleeting and uncreditted, many times as a newsboy or messanger boy.
Films in which he appeared (according to the Internet Movie Database)
included Roman Scandals, Little Lord Fauntleroy, Bringing Up Baby, Young Tom
Edison, and Pride and Prejudice.

Brad’s film career was interrupted by World War; he served overseas as a
P-47 Thunderbolt fighter pilot. During the war he was shot down over Germany
and spent six months as a prisoner of war.

After the war, back in Hollywood Brad made the transition to adult roles,
appearing in Love Laughs at Andy Hardy, Ghost and Mrs. Muir, and Mother Wore
Tights. Today he’s probably most often remembered for the “B” grade Westerns
he appeared in, such as Song of the Sierras, Law of the Lash, Border Feud,
Stage to Mesa City, and Return of the Lash. Following his acting career,
Brad went on to a second career of 30 years as an airline captain for
Western Airlines, and raised a family of six children.

The photo at top and right were from 1937 casting books, and the one below
is from 1947. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for sharing the photos.

Copyright © 2008 Larry Slavens. All rights reserved.